Dani Ochoa's Montia or how to be reborn from the ashes without a 'star' and more 'naturalistic' than ever

Like a phoenix reborn from its ashes.

Literally.

(no longer his

gastronomic

have resurfaced from them

of energy .

A year ago (May 8, 2021), when the state of alarm was ending and the Madrid hotel industry began to receive foreign customers, the San Lorenzo de El Escorial dining room -with

.

The fire disrupted the plans that Dani and Luis Moreno, his partner, had: convert

work on which had already begun.

The room has a Nordic aesthetic: wood, fur on the leather chairs...

"Just the day we signed the loan, it burned down. I don't know if it was fate... Perhaps the place that had given us so much did

be a second brand and

its story there," recalls Dani Ochoa today, with a new Montia -opened in January- already

one that was

for 10 years.

In this

, the response from the public could not have been better.

"It was opening and starting to fill up and that, after eight months stopped, is appreciated and gives a lot of oxygen.

But getting here hasn't been an easy ride, and Dani is more than used to

.

"For a while we wanted to keep both projects, but, in the end, it was not possible. My partner left and

".

The kitchen, where you can see the team working, is the backbone of the space.

With the new coordinates, like a GPS, he

"It's been a tough year.

to finish the project."

And, between stones and ashes, the resurgence has arrived, because Dani likes the march.

"

. My friends and the people who have worked with me know that I am happier when I look at the hill and not the flat road."

He continues: "In Montia

, everything was perfect, and we stopped valuing the good reviews, the waiting list of 100 people, the three full months... We saw it as normal. But what has The

past has made me appreciate that

And a bit of luck too: "In life you have to have certain moments when luck smiles at you.

, in the end and despite everything with the Montias we have had luck on our side. It has always gone very well for us

Bitter almond crunch with smoked trout and capers.

Gone are

, because I didn't have a mattress. But once the restaurant is open and rolling,

Because "we are more Montia than ever. Not a single wall of the old premises has remained. What has been built here is much more personal, even being alone in the project has made it even more so.

the boys, the truth, have been with me from a pinion".

Minced beef, carajillo barbecue sauce and watercress and mustard cream.

They have painted, they have loaded sacks of earth... "We have covered each other

, and that is the milk. What I am most proud of is my team," acknowledges the chef whose "

and discovers that he likes it, that it's not bad and that he begins to be valued by classmates and teachers", he says by way of biographical review (which we complete: trained in Mugaritz, among other restaurants; Revelation Chef in Madrid Fusión 2014, together with to Luis Moreno, and Michelin

).

So far the typicity, because

committed to the land long before these concepts became fashionable.

"Working with producers here on a daily basis is a piece of cake; we have internalized it and it comes naturally to us."

Thus, the current Montia is "

The construction company; the raw materials, the furniture, the crockery, everything

from people from the area. Even

Grilled suckling lamb, game and asurilla stew.

It has two Nordic-style dining rooms (wood, fur on the leather chairs, fireplace) and,

In addition, it houses a little gem,

"It is small for planting vegetables, unless they are chili-type. Sprouts, fast-growing leafy plants, such as nasturtiums or escaroles, are working well for us... And

It is the first year and we are in the 'trial and error' phase", he details.

Pine nut sorbet, spinach and black garlic and raisin cream.

Here each day and each dish is unique,

like the Montia boys (eight in the kitchen, who since memory remembers present the dishes to the diner, and four in the dining room), "

.

With what they bring, the stations and suppliers in the area ("we have begun to work with

") make "a pure, natural and wild cuisine", with recipes such as sweetbread fritters and sea ​​urchin;

spicy crab cake;

;

hare terrine, its consommé and herbs from the garden;

with rosemary;

bitter almond crunch with smoked trout and capers;

;

suckling lamb Gurriato;

Serrano wagyu, watercress and mustard...

Terrine of hare a la royale, fennel and herbs from the garden.

"Our line is very clear, whether you like it or not is another thing: a kitchen with natural ingredients. Very few stories come into play here in the form of gelling agents or powders."

This closeness to nature is reflected in

: long (95 euros, 45 euros for wine pairing) and XL, with two more passes that include

(110 euros and 52 euros for harmonies).

"Now we give two versions, a more contemporary one with fried and crunchy tripe and the traditional one, which we can't take away or feel like."

Dani has created a universe to suit her.

"From the moment you enter until you leave, everything has to do with Montia, from the glass to the bathrooms"... Or the

, all from small producers and friends. We keep them in the cellar, arranged according to the dishes. I like to change the pairings and, every day, we try the wine with the dish because, for example, the point of salt in a recipe can change the harmony".

They only offer natural wines.

If they have even made their own, fresh, young, fruity.

"They brought me grapes and we stomped on them together, old and new guys from Montia, members of the staff... even my son. It was a super nice day and

."

They call it Tinaja, because they rest in them, and they have produced three: a godello and airén white;

a red with bobal from Valencia and malvar from Madrid and a semi-sweet overripe Grenache;

"We have also left some demijohns

(outdoors), to see what comes out."

The second room, overlooking the orchard.

Speaking of waiting, what do you expect from this stage? During this year there have been times when I just hoped to get out of the hole and get my team out of there.

Now my goal is to enjoy cooking, see how it evolves and do things better every day.

In this place we have much more capacity to advance;

in the old one we had reached the ceiling, and here we are starting. But in this

things have fallen by the wayside, for example, the Michelin star. It was expected.

They called me and I explained that we had a joint in ruins and another that had just burned down.

It was impossible for them to visit us before closing the guide, at that time, Montia did not

;

What's more, the reform was delayed and we finished it in December. Will you recover it this year? I don't know, really.

For those of us who are far from the capital, yes, it can be a support, but I believe more in day to day, in constant work and in improving than in waiting for someone, a critic or a guide, to appear and save me. the ass

The customer is day to day. Is this the restaurant you wanted? Yes, for this moment in my life it is perfect.

Another thing is that you have always had in mind to open another place in the countryside, with a garden and animals. Have you ever considered taking Montia away from Madrid? -No, but I wouldn't rule out the idea either.

It is clear to me that I would never take it to a city, but I would not rule it out in a mountain, mountain, countryside or river environment.

The new Montia offers two versions of its famous corns, here the contemporary one.

Habitats to which one more element should be added: music.

"

Radio 3 to work and a playlist with songs pulling folk for the service. There have been services that did not

and, after changing the music, everything began to flow."

.

Dani Ochoa, who knows the Montia universe well,

.

Montia:

John of Austria, 7 C (San Lorenzo de El Escorial).

Reservations at 91 133 69 88 and on the restaurant's website.

Closed Monday and Tuesday.

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